Surgical tissue thickness measuring instrument

Abstract

A tissue thickness measuring instrument for surgical purposes comprising a pair of opposed tissue engaging jaws. Manually graspable actuating means operatively connected to the jaws for shifting the jaws away from each other. A resilient means urges the jaws toward each other with a substantially constant predetermined force over a predetermined working range of separation distance between the jaws. At least one scale with cooperating indicator is provided in association with the jaw actuating means giving a direct reading of the thickness of the tissue being measured. The instrument may be provided with another scale by which the diameter of tubular body elements in the flaccid state can be determined.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pliers-like tissue thickness measuring instrument for surgical purpose comprising a pair of first and second opposed tissue engaging jaws, first and second elongated handles pivotally joined together, said first handle terminating in said first jaw and said second handle terminating in said second jaw, said handles being so configured as to shift said first and second jaws away from each other over a predetermined working range of separation distance between said first and second jaws when said handles are pivoted toward each other, resilient means to urge said first and second jaws toward each other with a substantially constant predetermined force throughout said working range, a pair of arcuate members extending from the free end of said first handle in side-by-side parallel spaced relationship toward the free end of said second handle, a single arcuate member extending from said free end of said second handle toward said free end of said first handle, said single arcuate member having a first portion slidable between said pair of arcuate members of said first handle and a second portion slidable along those edges of said pair of members furthest from said jaws when said handles are shifted toward and away from each other to shift said jaws away from and toward each other, each of said pair of members bearing a scale representing said working range, said second portion of said single member having a pair of indicators each cooperating with one of said scales to give a direct reading of distance between said first and second jaws. 
     
     
       2. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said working range is from 0 to 4 mm and said resilient means is such as to cause said first and second jaws to exert a substantially constant pressure of tissue therebetween of 8 g/mm 2  throughout said working range whereby said instrument can be used to measure the thickness of intestinal tissue. 
     
     
       3. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said handles has a scale marked on at least one side thereof, said scale being so devised as to give a diameter reading of a tubular body organ laid therealong in flaccid state. 
     
     
       4. A pliers-like tissue thickness measuring instrument for surgical purposes comprising a pair of first and second opposed tissue engaging jaws, first and second elongated handles pivotally joined together, and first handle terminating in said first jaw and said second handle terminating in said second jaw, said handles being so configured as to shift said first and second jaws away from each other over a predetermined working range of separation distance between said first and second jaws when said handles are pivoted toward each other, a constant bias leaf spring located between said first and second handles with its ends affixed to said first and second handles to urge said first and second jaws toward each other with a substantially constant predetermined force throughout said working range, a pair of arcuate members extending from the free end of said first handle in side-by-side parallel spaced relationship toward the free end of said second handle, a single arcuate member extending from said free end of said second handle toward said free end of said first handle, said single arcuate member having a first portion slidable between said pair of arcuate members of said first handle and a second portion slidable along those edges of said pair of members furthest from said jaws when said handles are shifted toward and away from each other to shift said jaws away from and toward each other, each of said pair of members bearing a scale representing said working range, said second portion of said single member having a pair of indicators each cooperating with one of said scales to give a direct reading of the distance between said first and second jaws. 
     
     
       5. The structure claimed in claim 4 wherein at least one of said handles has a scale marked on at least one side thereof, said scale being so devised as to give a diameter reading of a tubular body organ laid therealong in flaccid state. 
     
     
       6. The structure claimed in claim 4 wherein said working range is from 0 to 4 mm and said resilient means is such as to cause said first and second jaws to exert a substantially constant pressure on tissue therebetween of 8 g/mm 2  throughout said working range whereby said instrument can be used to measure the thickness of intestinal tissue.